Climbing Ben Nevis, winter ascent in 1 day

Join David, an AMI/MIA-certified mountain leader, for this exciting, scenic and fun 1-day expedition climbing Ben Nevis. Summit the highest peak in Scotland and the whole of the United Kingdom in the winter and enjoy the stunning views from the top.

Private

Highlands

1 Day

Jan, Feb

High

Beginner

Highlights

Enjoy the stunning winter scenery on and around Ben Nevis.
Climb the highest peak in the United Kingdom.
Use an ice axe and crampons to ascend the mix of ice and snow up to the top.

Description

Climbing Ben Nevis, the highest peak in both Scotland and the United Kingdom is always a challenge, but doing so in the winter adds to both the test and the reward!

Rising to 1,344 metres (4,411 feet) in elevation, Ben Nevis may not sound very tall, but do not be fooled; the hike begins from sea level and is quite steep.

However, the reward for making it up to the top of this mighty peak is panoramic views (weather permitting) over the Highlands and many lochs that dot the landscape.

Our adventure to the summit begins from the Ben Nevis Inn in Glen Nevis. From here, we will start by hiking around the side of Meall an t-Suidhhe, crossing several streams en route and enjoying incredible views back over Glen Coe.

As we increase in elevation, we will begin to encounter snow and ice. At this point, we will take out our ice axes and attach our crampons before continuing our climb.

As we go, we will pass by the frozen waterfall of the Red Burn, which represents the halfway point.

The second half of the hike becomes increasingly steep and we will slow our progress down as me must use more of the ice axe and crampons to ascend via the steep switchbacks.

Before long, however, we will be at the summit and enjoy some glorious views of the surrounding landscapes and mountain ranges, including Glen Nevis, the Mamores and Glen Coe.

After a little while at the top, we will begin our descent and return to the inn.

So what are you waiting for? Book now for this challenging but fun and exciting 1-day winter ascent of Ben Nevis!

If you like the look of this trip then I think you may also enjoy my Aonach Eagach hiking traverse, also in the Scottish Highlands!

Price includes

Guiding fee
Permit and entrance fees
Mountain guide expenses
Crampons
Ice axe

Equipment you will need to bring

Crampons

Ice axe

Water bottle

Backpack

Sunglasses

winter boots

About the guide

David

Mountain Leader

Growing up in Kent and gaining a BSc Hons degree in Geography from the Uni of Portsmouth, the decision was quickly made to head from the flat lands of the south to the mountains of Scotland.

David has over 15 years experience in the Scottish Highlands, both leading people and on personal trips, in summer and winter, walking, climbing and camping. Over the years he has also had several Alpine trips gaining several 4000m summits and 2 trips to the Himalayas up to an altitude of 6000m.

David holds the Summer Mountain Leader Award, Winter Mountain Leader Award, Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and is working towards the Winter Mountaineering and Instructor.

Languages

English

Certificates

AMI MIA

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What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

Valeriya

You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

Cami

Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

4.8